


Not Quite The Expected Afterlife

by Eternal Scribe (Shadowcat)



Series: Flufftober 2018 [7]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 01:43:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16609487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat/pseuds/Eternal%20Scribe
Summary: Gannicus remembered he was crucified and dying... so how was he alive and laying on his back?





	Not Quite The Expected Afterlife

**Author's Note:**

> Day Seven of Flufftober -- Canon Fix-It

He was not sure he was not dreaming when he started hearing the sound of soft song and the smell of something far more pleasant than shit and blood. He was also not sure what to make of the fact that he seemed to be laying flat on his back when the last thing he remembered was hanging on that blasted cross of wood and greeting his death.

And mourning the fact that he would not see his beloved again for quite some time as he did not wish for her to join him in the afterlife for many years.

He felt a soft touch on his forehead and he _knew_ the touch of that hand. He tried to lift his hand to reach for it, but he was prevented from it by the hand of another.

“Ease off,” a familiar voice said quietly. “You were badly injured and we fought too hard to free you from the jaws of death for you to rush blindly back because you are confused and acting foolish.”

He tried to speak and found that no sound came out of his throat. He swallowed several more times and finally his words found voice.

“Nasir?”

“Aye, it's really me and Agron is outside tending to the orders for tonight's guard.”

“How is this real? I died. Those fucking Romans...”

“Oh, they tried very hard to kill you and then you tried very hard to allow them to succeed, but not even they or you could out stubborn ones who care about you.”

“How am I here?”

“Open your eyes, Gannicus and see why you are yet among the breathing.”

That was a new voice and one that meant almost everything to him. It took him a moment to convince his eyes to open and then several more moments for them to regain focus so he could see clearly and not through a blurred haze. Once he had his vision, he was struck by those familiar eyes that were looking down at him.

“Sibyl...”

“Hello, beloved. Glad I am to see that you are coming back to us.”

She looked tired, no more than tired. She looked worn out and it was a sight he did not like seeing.

“You have not been taking care of yourself, Sibyl.”

Her laugh was soft even as he heard Nasir's sharp one.

“Says the one who was on the edge of death when we retrieved him.”

She moved over to sit next to him on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired and very confused.” He flexed his hands, surprised that there was feeling in them when he knew he had been affixed to a cross and lifted up after the last battle. “Who is left?”

Sibyl swallowed and looked away, so it was Nasir who came into his view to answer his question.

“You, me, and Agron of the original men. A few of the later recruits. Sibyl, Laeta. Some other women who were able to get to safety as was the plan. Several children – some without other family.”

“What of Spartacus?”

Nasir shook his head, even as his eyes brightened with sadness. “No. He does not still walk with us, but we made sure that he was safely put to rest out of reach of the Romans.”

Gannicus closed his eyes, sorrow sweeping through him. So many of his brothers and sisters, lost.

Spartacus, Crixus, Naevia, Saxa...

“How do I yet live, then, when I should have joined them?”

“We retrieved you,” Sibyl said quietly. “After night fell, the Romans moved on. They felt there was no need to guard their trophies as they would be dead soon and there was no way for them to escape the crosses. Plus, they had more people to punish or take ownership of.”

“It was Sibyl's idea,” Nasir said quietly. “But we all agreed with her. Dead or alive, you would not be left with them as any kind of prey or warning to others who thought to fight for their freedom from masters.”

Gannicus looked at Sibyl for a long moment, and she stared right back at him, a flash of defiance in her eyes.

“Sibyl?”

"Under the cover of night, we walked the crosses looking for you. When we found where they had left you, it was a simple solution from there.”

Gannicus raised an eyebrow even as Nasir laughed. 

“Two of the others climbed the cross and managed to pull the nails from your hands and then they handed you down to myself and the other men that came with us.” He shrugged. “We got you back to where we had camped that night and Sibyl, Laeta, and the old medicus attended to you. Each time we moved, we fashioned a litter and turns were taken carrying you with us.” He narrowed his eyes. “We had all decided that you would not be left behind. With Sibyl and the medicus assuring us that you would recover, we knew that we had done the right thing.”

“How long?”

“Weeks.”

Gannicus nodded, his eyes on Sibyl. “Nasir?”

“Yes?”

“Go away.”

Nasir laughed even as Sibyl looked embarrassed at his rudeness to their friend.

“That I can do as I know you wish time alone with your heart and mine will want a full report on your condition.”

Nasir stopped at the opening to the tent, turning his head to look at the Celt.

“Do not upset her, Gannicus. All she did was out of love for you and there are those in our family who would not be pleased if you were unkind or caused her upset in your confusion and worry.”

“Get out, Nasir.”

Nasir laughed again and ducked out of the tent.

“That was impolite.”

“No, what is impolite is that I have been awake for many moments and as of yet, my arms remain empty.”

“I do not wish to cause you pain.”

“The pain comes from the seeing and not being able to hold you, Sibyl. It is hard for me to understand how this happened or that I yet breathe and I would hold you close to gain truth of this.”

She nodded and moved closer to him on the bed and then lay down alongside him – letting out a surprised gasp when he pulled her onto him.

“Gannicus --”

“I am unhurt by this, Sibyl, my heart,” he murmured, looking into her eyes. “You cannot give a thirsty man the scent of drink and then keep it out of his hands.” He sighed. “You could have been hurt or captured or worse.”

“It was my choice, beloved. I could not leave you there and if the cost was my life, then that would have been a price I would have paid.”

“I wanted you to live and be free. That was why we went into that last battle – to give the rest of you time to escape.”

“And so we did escape, but you said nothing of staying far away when the battle was over and they left you to rot. I would not have that nor would the rest of our people.”

“You risked much.”

“I would risk it all again. I need my beloved... and our child will need a father.”

Gannicus' eyes widened and he moved one of his bandaged hands between their bodies to touch her stomach. “A child?”

“Our child. I had to try and make sure that he or she would have their father at our sides.”

Gannicus couldn't speak for a moment; he was trying to deal with too much emotion. That he was alive and with this woman again was miracle enough – but a child?!

“Where are we?”

Sibyl lay her head against his chest. “We have crossed into Germania early this evening. We are out of Roman reach, but Agron will lead us even further to places he remembers as being safe. We seek to put even more distance between us and the Romans as possible, while also giving us a place to set up stable homes and fortifications. We will not one of us be taken again.”

He knew that Sibyl had been born into slavery, but did not question her words about being taken. Since he had freed her, his worry had been that she would be taken back into that life and he had been willing to face anything he had to in order to prevent that.

“You have become quite the warrior, my little Sibyl.”

She shook her head. “No, I led no fight, beloved. I have yet to hold any kind of weapon. I merely had ideas come to me from the gods and good friends willing to put them into practice.”

Gannicus did not waste time with words, instead he tilted his head down to hers so he could kiss her. Their last kiss had been one of farewell and sadness, but as he deepened the kiss, he knew that this one was a symbol of the future to come for them both.

A future he was very interested in challenging anyone to try to take from him.


End file.
